Multiple compartment bag having readily separable indicvidual compartments



p 1957 J. CALASIBETTA ET AL MULTIPLE COMPARTMENT BAG HAVING READILY SEPARABLE INDIVIDUAL COMPARTMENTS Filed Oct. 14. 1953 M #5 4 a /4 4 j a w 3 7 6 4 4 4 w J n/W- 2 M F y w m /r1/ (W m p M F a A k M III/l III/j INVENTOR. JOHN CAMS/BETTA JAMES DESENA BY MULTIPLE COMPARTll/ENT BAG HAVING READILY SEPARABLE INDIVIDUAL COM- PARTMENTS John Calasibetta, Upper Montclair, N. 1., and James De Sena, Maspeth, N. Y., assignors to Roto Bag Cerporation, New York, N. Y.

Application October 14, 1953, Serial No. 385,987

7 Claims. (Cl. 22956) This invention relates to improvements in heat-sealed bags, and particularly to an improved heat-sealed bag of the multiple-compartment type.

In so-called multiple-compartment bags of the type with which the present invention is concerned, two or more individual bag compartments are fabricated in a composite structure, the arrangement being such that the individual compartments can be separated readily from the group without disturbing the remaining compartments. With such an arrangement, the packaged units can be utilized individually as required, keeping the remainder in their original protective covering for later use.

In one common type of multiple-compartment bag, the adjoining compartments are connected by a web or material that is perforated to provide a tear line which is intended to facilitate tearing the individual sections apart. However, in addition to the added manufacturing operation of punching out the perforations, this is not an entirely reliable expedient, as the material will not always separate readily along the intended line. Particularly is this true in the case of bags made of heat-sealable thermoplastic or thermoplastic coated material, such as cellophane, or the like. Such materials have the property of being quite difiicult' to tear initially, and then of tearing in a more or less random fashion once a tear is started. This tendency toward irregular tearing heretofore has prevented the production of an entirely satisfactory multiple-compartment plastic bag. Even when the connecting area between the compartments is perforated to provide a tear line, the tear frequently is difiicult to make since it must, in effect, he started anew at each perforation. Furthermore, there is a very good chance that the tear will not run true from one perforation to the next, but instead will start ofi at an angle that will take the tear directly into one of the package compartments. Once this happens, not only is the protective covering of the torn compartment destroyed, but it becomes quite difiicult to separate the two compartments at all.

It is, accordingly, a general object of the present invention to provide an improved multiple-compartment bag from which an individual unit can be removed readily without in anywise interfering with the remaining units, and a structure in which the units are securely attached to each other prior to desired separation.

in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention, the foregoing and other related objects and advantages are attained in a multiple-compartment heatsealable bag wherein the compartments are joined by a line of single-thickness strip of imperforate material, bounded on each side by double-thickness layers of material where the front and back panels of the compartments are bonded together. There is thus provided between the compartments a narrow connecting strip that can be torn readily without danger of tearing into the body portion of the compartments themselves, the heatsealed double-thickness layers along the edges of each connecting strip forming guides that are much more resistant to tearing than the single-layer section that forms the connecting 2,805,814 Patented Sept. 10, 1957 A more complete understanding of the invention can be had by reference to the following description of illustrative embodiments thereof, when considered in connection with the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Figure 1 is a plan view of a two-compartment bag embodying the invention;

Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view of the same bag taken on the line 22 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a plan view of a three-compartment bag embodying the invention;

Figure 4 is a plan view of a modified form of a twocompartment bag embodying the invention;

Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view taken on the line 5-5 of Figure 4; and

Figure 6 illustrates a method of forming a two-compartment bag, such as shown in Figures 1 and 2.

As shown in Figure 1 of the drawings, a two-compartment bag is formed from a substantially rectangular sheet or blank of heat-sealable material. In this embodiment of the invention, substantially rectangular opposite side portions 12, 14 of the original blank are folded over and inwardly to overlay the center portion 16, thereby forming front panels 12, 14 and a back panel 16. The edges 18, 20 of the front panels 12, 14 are brought nearly together at the center of the back panel 16, and there are cemented, heat-sealed or bonded in any suitable fashion to the back panel along strips 26, 28.

in the embodiment of the invention presently being described, a lateral strip 30 along one end of the bag is folded over and sealed, either to the front of the package, as shown, or to the back, to form a bottom closure. Alternatively, the fold may be omitted and the front and back sheets cemented or heat-sealed together.

With the front panels 12, 14 thus peripherally joined to the back panel 16, there are formed two separate bag compartments 31, 33 connected by a narrow line 16a of a single layer of the back panel. It will be noted that the bonding of the adjacent front panel edges 18, 20 to the back panel 16 forms two parallel double-thickness strips 26, 28 on each side of the single thickness connecting strip 16a, to serve as tear guides. In the end closure strip 3%, there is provided at the center a small notch or slit 32 to serve as a means of starting a tear when the two bag sections are to be separated.

Ordinarily, the commodity to be packaged next will be placed in the bag, and the open end sealed. When the two parts are to be separated for individual use, it will be found that the end closure can be grasped on opposite sides of the starting notch 32 and the two sections 31, 3-3 torn apart readily. Due to the fact that the double layer seal lines 2s, 28 will not tear as readily as the adjacent single layer strip 160, there is no tendency what-. soever for the tear line to veer off into either of the compartments. In fact, it is quite difficult to force the tear line to extend into the seal area on either side, even when a special effort is made to do so.

it will, of course, be understood that the end closures can be made in other ways than as described and shown in Figure 1. For example, usually it is suflicient simply to seal laterally across the bags.

in constructing the bag, it is important that the very edges 18 and 20 of the front panels be sealed securely to the back panel as this forms an abrupt change in the efiective thickness of the material and forms a positive guide for the separation of the material along the selected tear line. if these edges 18 and 20 are not sealed securely, the tear may extend under the loose edge where the irregular path of the seal may cause the tear to extend outside the desired path. i

Preferably the adjacent edges 18 and 20 of the front panels 12 and 14 are substantially in abutting, but not overlapping, relationship. As a matter of safety to prevent anyoverlapping caused by irregularities -in=the plastic material or in the operation of the machine, the adjacent edges may be separated by; to of an inch, although wider separation may 'beemployed ifdesired. With -wi'der separation, some Waste of material isinevitable' and the tearliniits are =notdefined with as much-certainty, that is, as the distanee between the adjacentedges is incre'ased, the "chance that-the tear will approach one of the'ed'ges at a substantial right angle is somewhat increased.

- 'The construction described =ab'ov'e' ha-s a number of advantages relating not only to the iut'ilit-y of the finished bag but to the'speed and economy of; its manufacture. The bags are manufactured advantageously from a continuous strip of Lheat-sealable packaging material, such as cellophane :or heat sealable -.'glassine. Figure 6 illustratesione method of'manufactore inwhich the outer edges of a continuously moving fiat strip 34 of plastic materialxare folded-over and inwardly so th'at they are almost in abutting relationshipalong the center of the strip as indicated at :35. The stripmoves under a heat-seal unit, diagrammatically shown at 3'6 which seals the edge portions of'the strip to the adjacent layer. It Will be observed ;that only a single heat-sealing roller or slide is requiredso long as Litis wide enou'gh to :extend over both of the edges rofthe plastic. Devices for making such longitudinal heat seals are already known.

After thedongitudinal heatsealLhassecured the edges, the packagingmaterialzis passedlthroughaltransverse heatseal device.37 which makes :the seal8'01to form the bottoms of the bag. Apparatus :for making :such transverse seals are already known, for example, apparatus of the type'described by :Ladislav 'Moravec and Alfred Gans in U. S. patent application '.Serial :Number 319372, filed November 7, 1952 (now U. S. Patent 2,670,783) is suitable.

The strip is then cut transversely adjacent to seal 30, as along the broken line 38, to form the individual com partmented bags. If desired, the transverse seal may be made prior to the longitudinal seal.

Heat-sealing is'to be preferred over gluing or cementing the edges of the strip. if the cement is not carried fully to the edge of the packaging material, there will be more tendency for the tear to leave the longitudinal line bounded by the two edges; if the cement extends beyond the edges into the tear line, the resistance to tear is increased with the result that the tear may extend into the double thickness layer of plastic.

:If :more than two compartments are required in each bag, the structure shown in Figures 1 and 2 can be modified to .provide as many compartments as desired. Figure3 shows a plan view of a three-compartment bag.

The front panels .39 and 40 of the two outermost bag compartments are formed in the same manner as in Figures f1 and 2, by folding side sections of a blank or sheet of material to overlay parts of the center portion of the blank. However, in the Figure 3 arrangement, the edges 41 and 42 of these overlaying portions of the original blankare spaced apart .a distanceapproximately equal to one-third of the width of the finished package, and a second sheet 43 of plastic material of appropriate width is bonded along'both edges as at 44 and 45 to the back panel 'to serve as the frontpanelfor the central compartment of the bag. The edges 41 and 42 of the outermost front panels 39 and 40 similarly are bonded to the back panel, with the edges 41' and 42' being spaced only slight- 'ly from and parallel with the adjacent edges 46and 47 of the center front panel43. Allateral seal 48 along one end of the bag serves as afbottom closure.

As before, the double thickness strips 49'and 44, and v 50 and 45, formed by bonding the front and back panels serve as guides on both sides of the tear llines provided by'the single-thickness strips 16a connectingeachadjacent pair of bag compartments. A slit .32 at .the end of each tear line area 16a provides an easy start for the tear.

F 'It will, of course, be obvious that anynumber-of front panels'canbe added 'in the'same fashion as the center panel 42 in Figure 3 to provide -as many individual eompartments as desired.

It should be noted also that all of the front panels for a multiple-compartment bag embodying the invention can comprise separate sheets-or 'strips of material, similar to the center :panel'43 in Figure 3, rather than having the two outermost panels formed by folded-over portions of the back panel sheet. This is illustrated in Figures 4 and 5, wherein there is also shown a bag having pleated front'panels permitting greater'expansionof theba'g when filled.

The bag shown in Figures 4 and '5 comprises a single sheet back paneljSLhaving individual front panel blanks 52 and 53 bonded thereto along both edges 54, 56 and 58, 6%, and along'the'bottom'62. Adjacent the edge seal lines 54, 56, 58, 60, the front panels 52, 5 3 are formed with pleated folds as-at 64, 66, 68,70 that allow the bags to lie flatprior to filling and to expand readily when filled. As before, the adjacent edges '72, '74, of the front panels 52, $3 are spaced slightly apart to lie parallel along a well-defined, imperforate section 51a of the back panel 51, which section i-la forms the connecting link between the individual bag sections. 4 and S-constructioncanbe separated readily, as with the bags .already :described, by grasping the endclosure seal 62 on :each sideofithe starting slit .32 and tearing along the :strip 511:.

As in the multiple=compartment bags already described, it isirnportant that the edges 72 and 74 he in abutting relationship facing one another .in order .to provide sharp well-defined limits :for .the tear zone 51a. Such .sharp limits are .not defined ifthefacepanels arefolded'over soxthat the centeredges 72 .and.74are along 'the outside edges of the seals 56 and SS inStead of .along the .inside edges of these seals as'shown in Figures 4 and 5.

What is vclaimed is:

l. A multiple-compartment bag comprising an imperforate single-layer back panel and a plurality of :front panels eachperipherally joined along three edges to said back panel to form with said back panel a plurality of separate bag compartments in side-by-side relation, the adjacent edges of each adjacent pair of said .front panels being parallel and spaced slightly apart and nearly in abutting relationship, the adjacent edges of the front panels being joined to the back panel along their very edges, the corresponding .bag compartments being joined solely by a narrow strip portion of said back panel bounded along each side by a double-layer tear guide formed by the very edges of the .front panels joined to the back panel, each saidstrip portion having a cut in one end to facilitate tearing said strip portion.

.2. In aitwo-compartment bag, aisubstantially rectangular blank of heat-sealable material comprising opposite side portions and a central portion, saidopposite side portions of said blank being folded to overlaythe center portion thereof, .the adjacent edges of said overlaying portions being substantially parallel, spaced apart slightly and having a narrow imperforate strip of said central portion therebetween and being heat-sealed to .said central portion and forming .a pair of bag compartments having back panels comprising saidcentral portion and front panels comprising said overlaying portions, with said compartments being joined by said narrow imperforate:

eachforming with said back panel .a separate bag com-.

partmennthe adjacent edges of each adjacent pairof said frontpanels'being insubstantial abutting but spaced.relationship and having .therebetween a .narrowstrip portion of said back panel, the corresponding bag compartments being joined by the narrow strip portions'of said back The-bagse'ctions in the Figures panel, each said strip portion having tear-starting means therein at one end to facilitate tearing said strip portion.

4. In a two-compartment bag, a substantially rectangular blank of irnperforate heat-scalable material, opposite side portions of said blank being folded to overlay the center portion thereof, the adjacent edges of said overla dng portions being spaced apart slightly and sealed by heat-seals to said central portion and forming a pair of bag compartments having back panels comprising said central portion and front panels comprising said overlaying portions and joined by a narrow strip of said central portion, said heat-seals extending to the very edges of said overlaying portions and said very edges of said overlaying portions sealed to said central portion forming abrupt changes in the efiective thickness of the material and providing tear guides confining a tear to said narrow strip, said strip having means at one end to facilitate starting tearing said strip to separate said compartments.

5. A multiple-compartment bag comprising a plurality of peripherally joined substantially rectangular front and back panels forming a plurality of bag compartments arranged adjacent one another, and a single-layer strip of imperforate heat-scalable material connecting each adjacent pair of said compartments, said strip and said back panels comprising a single continuous layer of material, said strip having a cut at one end to facilitate tearing said strip to separate said adjacent compartments.

6. in a multiple-compartment plastic bag of the type comprising a plurality of integral bag compartments each having peripherally joined front and back panels joined along three edges, the improvement which comprises a single layer strip of imperforate plastic material connect ing each adjacent pair of said compartments, said strip and said back panels comprising a single continuous layer of material, said front and back panels being bonded together on each side of each said strip and the bond extending along the very edges of said front panels to provide a pair of parallel double-layer tear guides bounding said strip, each said strip having a slit at one end to facilitate tearing said strip to separate said adjacent compartments, the adjacent edges of said double-layer tear guides being spaced less than inch apart.

7. A multiple compartment bag of heat-scalable material having at least two bag compartments joined together and adapted to be readily torn apart comprising an imperforate back panel, at least a pair of front panels each peripherally joined along three edges to said back panel and forming with the back panel a pair of separate bag compartments in adjacent relationship, the very edges of said pair of front panels being closely spaced and in parallel relationship with a narrow strip of said back panel between said very edges, said very edges being heat sealed to said back panel along their lengths forming closely spaced tear guides bounding said narrow strip and being thicker than said narrow strip, said very edges confining a tear to said narrow strip of the back panel and directing the tear along the length of said narrow strip, whereby said bag compartments are readily separated by tearing along said narrow strip.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 683,790 Parmenter Oct. 1, 1901 1,007,918 Chambers Nov. 7, 1911 1,246,898 English Nov. 20, 1917 2,083,617 Salfisberg June 15, 1937 2,139,039 Salfisberg Dec. 6, 1938 2,194,451 Soubier Mar. 19, 1940 2,245,738 Taylor June 17, 1941 2,444,685 Waters July 6, 1948 2,699,286 Gefiroy Jan. 11, 1955 FOREIGN PATENTS 333,592 Italy Jan. 4, 1936 

